MORGANTOWN – We recently reported on the significant growth of net-metering customers for FirstEnergy’s West Virginia sisters Mon Power and Potomac Edison. AEP’s West Virginia sisters Appalachian Power (APCo) and Wheeling Power released their numbers this week, and they also have seen more turning to solar.
As of May 31, 2023, Appalachian Power had 1,227 solar customers (officially called customer-generator facilities) and six wind customers. For the period of June 1, 2023 through May 31 this year, it had 1,533 solar and – still – six wind. That’s 25% growth in solar customers.
As of May 31, 2023, Wheeling Power had 88 solar customers and two wind customers. On May 31 this year, it had 111 solar and two wind. That’s 26% solar growth.
Electric utilities are required to submit annual net-metering reports to the state Public Service Commission. The numbers come from those reports.
APCo’s wind and solar net-metering customers have a combined total generating capacity of 15,246.4 kilowatts. To put that into perspective, a kilowatt is 1,000 watts; a megawatt is 1 million watts and Mon Power’s Fort Martin plant generates 1,098 megawatts.
Wheeling Power’s wind and solar net-metering customers have a combined generating capacity of 2,065.4 kilowatts.
And while the two companies have seen their net-metering demand grow by 25% and 26% respectively, those customers make up just a tiny portion of their customer base.
Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power state that they have approximately 460,000 customers in West Virginia. Their total 1,472 net-metering customers make up 0.003% of their customer base.
As we reported previously, Mon Power saw its solar net-metering customers climb from 751 in May 2023 to 901 this past May (wind customers remained steady at 12) – 20% growth. Solar and wind customers had a combined generating capacity of 10,669.75 kw.
Potomac Edison saw its solar net-metering customers rise from 891 in May 2023 to 1,030 this past May (wind customers remained steady at 14) – 16% growth. Solar and wind customers had a total generating capacity of 11,932 kw.
As with the AEP sisters, Mon Power’s and Potomac Edison’s net-metering customers make up just a tiny portion of their customer base.
They serve a total 546,000 customers in West Virginia, and their combined 1,957 net-metering customers make up 0.004% of their customer base.
Email:dbeard@dominionpost.com
